Now Catonsville will usually tilt toward a bridge crossing, but the farther north and east you go, the more sense the northern route makes. Google puts the tipping point - where the northern route beats the bridge even when there is no congestion - at about White Marsh. The farther north you're going in Ocean City or along the Delaware shore, the stronger the case for the Elkton route. For Rehoboth Beach, most of north Baltimore, along with Towson, would do better avoiding the bridge.
This is a game every Baltimore beachgoer with a Web connection can play. Go to Google Map directions. Enter your address and beach destination. Run the directions once via the Bay Bridge (unless Google tells you that Elkton is flat-out better for you) and once via Elkton. Work out the difference in minutes. Then make your best estimate of Bay Bridge delay at the time you're traveling.
If your estimated delay is greater than the difference between the two Google travel routes, you've reached your Bay Bridge tipping point. Elkton, ho! Caveat: Interstate 95 can develop its own congestion issues, but nothing around here rivals the Bay Bridge.
gettingthere@baltsun.com
Bay Bridge delays
Estimate how long a delay you expect at the Bay Bridge. Depending on where you're leaving from, it might be faster to skip the bridge and instead go to the Shore via Elkton. From Parkville, for instance, you should use Elkton if you expect a bridge delay of 15 minutes or more. Here are some other examples. (For the best Elkton route, use Google to get directions to "U.S. 40 and Automotive Lane" in Elkton. Then get directions to the beach from there.)
15-minute delay
Parkville
Essex
Towson
30-minute delay
Dundalk
Hunt Valley
Baltimore (north/east)
45-minute delay
Westminster
Pikesville
Baltimore (downtown/west)
Catonsville
60-minute delay
Columbia
Ellicott City
Frederick
Source: Google
